


funny how reflections change

by RingwraithBookworm



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, I Don't Even Know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2019-08-27 09:51:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16700209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RingwraithBookworm/pseuds/RingwraithBookworm
Summary: Asajj Ventress saves Obi-Wan Kenobi. She's not entirely sure if it was her best idea, nor is she particularly excited about meeting Savage's new brother.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting on AO3, but I'm not new to the site or fanfiction. Please let me know if I missed something? Thanks.

She’d crept into the ship through an opening, and hid in the darkness of the upper level near a pillar. There was a pit in the center with crates stacked throughout. The three figures gave her pause, and she watch, calculating the different possibilities and outcomes.

Asajj Ventress looked at the smaller, familiar copper haired woman as she flew backwards, a punch from the red Zabrak sending her reeling. Judging by the amount of hatred that only Kenobi could seem to earn from an enemy, she’d said something that hit a nerve.

Blood from a split lip was visible, and judging by the way Kenobi held herself there was at least bruised and broken rib. Her hair stayed stubbornly in its braided bun at the base of her neck, but a few strands were loose. Despite her ruffled appearance, there was still fire in Kenobi’s blue eyes, even if one looked dangerously close to swelling shut. 

Asajj Ventress should leave. Preferably now. There would be other opportunities to take her revenge on Savage. 

She should walk away, and leave Kenobi to die. This was not any of her business. 

Force knows Asajj had tried to kill the Jedi Master many, many times. She captured and tortured the Jedi Master.

And yet all she could think about was Kenobi’s brat, who Kenobi had taught and raised. Who was Skywalker’s Jedi Master, the way once, long ago, Ky Narec might’ve been Asajj’s Jedi Master. 

All she could see was Narec. The way it felt to have him die. As much as she hated Skywalker, she pitied him losing Kenobi, for it appeared there was no blond Jedi Knight in sight. Kenobi was apparently on her own, and in deep shit, for Ventress had noticed no other ships near Raydonia when she approached. Certainly no nearby Republic cruisers. 

Once, the thought of Kenobi’s death would’ve made Ventress dance a jig at the beginning of this bloody conflict, or drink a toast in celebration while regretting that she hadn't been the one to do it. 

Asajj ducked behind a pillar. 

But she had found, after leaving Dooku, that she had the freedom to decide who to kill and why she hated someone. As much of a pain as Kenobi could be, she was always as kind as the situation allowed towards Ventress, despite everything. Usually bantering with Ventress, a smirk or smile on her face. Part of her primary frustration with Kenobi had been that no matter what Ventress did, it seemed Dooku favored her. She knew Dooku had attempted to turn Kenobi on Geonosis, and that Kenobi was Dooku’s grandpadawan. The knowledge had always seemed to stick with her and annoy her. 

Another part of her frustration was that no matter what Ventress did to Kenobi, she just wouldn’t break. Instead, she found something in herself and a feeling had told Ventress that torturing Kenobi the way she had after capturing her on Jabiim would lead to nowhere. It was why, despite the murder attempts and clashes, Ventress hadn’t tried to actively capture and torture Kenobi.

She snarled to herself, then gritted her teeth in resigned acceptance. This was her chance to be rid of a headache, to leave now and go after Savage later when Maul wasn’t around, but she took a breath. She pulled the shadows tighter around her, steeling herself, before Ventress stepped out from behind the darkness. 

Her mind was made up. Perhaps it was the wrong choice, but it was hers. 

She had found that lately she wasn’t much for doing what was expected of her in any situation. 

“What a surprise,” Asajj exclaimed with mock pleasure. 

Sith hells, but the red Zabrak was a dark maelstrom in the Force, his anger and hatred almost overpowering. She discreetly sized him up, noting his lightsaber. 

Savage turned around and, recognizing her voice, looked up at her warily. Maul whirled around with a soft, displeased growl, clearly wanting nothing more than to tear Obi-Wan Kenobi into pieces. Ventress could more than sympathizes with that desire, but she had other plans at the moment.

She’d have to play this carefully. 

Pretending to be thoughtful, she said, “My former servant, still an animal.”

Savage closed his eyes briefly, whether in shame, or squashing the urge to murder her immediately, she wasn’t sure. Compared to his brother, he was a calmer presence of darkness in the Force, though his anger towards her burned fiercely.  
It almost made her proud. 

“And you have a friend now,” Ventress crooned, looking at the red Zabrak. 

His eyes, she noted, were a sickly golden yellow, the same as Dooku’s eyes. 

“My brother,” Savage told her grudgingly, but there was pride in his voice. 

“A brother?” She asked surprised, then looked once more at the other Zabrak. She supposed she could see the family resemblance. 

Ventress noted the lack of a lower half. 

“Looks like he’s half the man you are, Savage,” she smirked, not even bothering to hide it. With false sympathy, she crossed her arms. “How unfortunate.” 

“I,” Ventress continued, “was looking for a challenge." She sneered, "Not some wretched castoffs from the Nightbrothers clan.”

Neither seemed to appreciate that remark. 

She crept back into the shadows, uncrossing her arms, and did her best to sound genuinely sincere when she told the pair, “What a disappointment.”

Ventress lasted only a couple of seconds before she laughed, low and wicked. 

Savage and the red Zabrak looked around warily for her, thrown off balance by the new visitor and ready to attack.

Good. She could use that in her favor. It was the work of a second to subtly nudge the door close and avoid the searching presences of Savage and his brother. Savage clearly hadn’t learned how to be discreet, and his brother, reeking of the Dark Side, did it with the air of someone that was rusty with the skill. She wondered what hole Savage had found him in. 

With a vicious backhand Savage’s brother knocked out Kenobi, and from the shadows Ventress grimaced. She wasn't planning to carry the Jedi Master out. Savage and his brother headed out the door, intent on pursuing Ventress and killing her. Smirking to herself, she waved a small goodbye to them. 

Ventress had no intention of that happening, thank you very much. She jumped down into the pit silently. 

Softly, she stepped towards the unconscious form of the Jedi Master, and Ventress swore. She shook the woman, but all she got was a pained groan in response. 

“C’mon, you stubborn gundark,” she hissed in annoyance, “Wake up, Kenobi! Don’t tell someone’s finally knocked the fight out of you.”

Grievous would be jealous. Kenobi looked like shit. 

As it stood, Ventress needed Obi-Wan to get out alive, and Obi-Wan needed Ventress to get out alive. Two against two were far better odds than one against two. She slapped the copper haired woman and was mature enough to admit that it brought her a tiny amount of satisfaction. 

Obi-Wan’s blue eyes opened, and focused on her. Disoriented, it took a minute for Obi-Wan to realize who, exactly, was in front of her. She wondered just how hard she’d been hit. A quick check with the Force told her that yes, this was real. 

“Ventress?” Obi-Wan said incredulously. 

“Looks like I’m here to rescue you,” she told the other woman dryly, and pulled Obi-Wan to her feet. 

The Jedi Master attempted to knock some of the soot off, then stopped, finding it useless. Her stance was steady, but she was far too pale. Ventress knew enough about the woman however to know that if she wasn't unconscious Kenobi wasn't out of the fight. 

Obi-Wan questioned, “When did you become the good guy?” 

The unimpressed look Ventress gave her should’ve frozen her blood. It only served to make Obi-Wan smile, which hurt her lip and bruised cheek. 

“Don’t insult me,” Ventress said with a sneer, her hands on her hips.

“Well, you’re a pleasant sight to wake up to,” Obi-Wan offered with a faint, weary smile. 

She kept one eye on her surrounds, wary of her captors. Ventress stood with her back-to-back, and neither could entirely shake the feeling of danger that was in the Force. Obi-Wan itched to hold her lightsaber. 

“Don’t flatter yourself, Kenobi,” Ventress rolled her eyes, “You’ve never been much to look at.”

The dark feeling of a presence that was becoming familiar far too rapidly for comfort came, and Obi-Wan turned, looking up. Ventress did the same. 

“The witch and the Jedi,” Savage stated, and he was, in Obi-Wan’s experience, far too delighted to see two people he considered enemies. 

Then again, she’d probably be delighted too if one of her enemies was without a weapon, and she had another person on her side to tip the odds in her favor. She thought longingly of her room in the Temple. She was supposed to be on leave, Sith dammit. 

“Here for our taking,” Maul snarled, a look in his eyes like he was already anticipating running her through. 

Lovely, that one. She really should have aimed for his neck instead. 

Wordlessly, Ventress offered her other lightsaber to her. Obi-Wan looked down at it as the other woman practically shoved it in her face. She took it without a word.

“I want that back,” Ventress pointed a finger at the lightsaber to emphasize this, keeping one eye on Savage, in case he tried to jump down. 

Obi-Wan tried not to let her pleased surprise show, and likewise kept one eye on Maul. The two brothers seemed content to let Ventress arm Obi-Wan, confident about the way the fight would go. 

“That’s fine,” she agreed, tossing it up and then catching it, “Red’s not my color.”

Ventress’ lightsaber was at once familiar and foreign. Usually, she was at the other end of this blade, not holding it. It ignited with a hiss, and she tried to ignore the way the kyber crystals felt – maybe not entirely wrong, but sad? Definitely dark, but more grey than completely evil. More the Steal Your Credit Pouch evil than the Murder You In Cold Blood kind of evil. 

“Ready?” She asked her admittedly unlikely partner. 

“Like you even have to ask,” Ventress scoffed, lightsaber lit and held up in a ready position. 

The reply almost made Obi-Wan smirk. It seemed whether they were fighting against each other or side-by-side, their banter remained. 

Anakin would be horrified. 

Maul and Savage, lightsabers already ignited, jumped down from the second level into the pit that Obi-Wan and Ventress stood in. Maul, predictably, came for her first with short, brutal swings. She blocked them easily, but her arms shook. She mentally swore as Maul attempted to maneuver her in a corner. He used to Force attempting to batter away at her shields, and his presence was impossible to ignore. 

Behind her, she heard Ventress swearing softly as she parried Savage’s strikes, and Obi-Wan reached out to her using the Force with a suggestion. 

Understanding the wordless communication, Ventress ducked and spun under Savage’s next swing at the same time Obi-Wan ducked and spun under Maul’s swing, until the two of them had switched opponents. 

She blocked Savage’s lightsaber and then on the fourth try, when she knocked his guard away and he was exposed, she punched him quickly and brutally, causing the Zabrak to real back momentarily as Ventress briefly knocked Maul away behind Obi-Wan.  
With the air of two people used to each other in a fight (though usually it was against each other and not with) Obi-Wan and Ventress again switched places wordlessly. 

It was just in time for Obi-Wan to bring up Ventress’ lightsaber and stop Maul’s saber from going straight into her head. She blocked his saber and then kicked him squarely in the stomach, and Maul went flying backwards into some boxes. 

Maul had changed since their last fight, but so had she. 

A clatter and then a crash as Obi-Wan saw Ventress go flying by her and into the crates. She grimaced, knowing the crates were not exactly soft. She tried not to gawk, too busy focusing on her own fight, when Ventress jumped up onto Savage and started punching his ears, yelling a war cry. 

Those two certainly knew each other if the earlier conversation wasn't any indication. They fought too viciously for the fight to be impersonal. 

Obi-Wan bit back a curse as she blocked Maul’s lightsaber once again. Ventress was handling herself just fine for the moment. She needed to focus on her own fight. 

All this red in the room was giving her a headache. 

She shoved Maul away head first into the crates near her, for it seemed there were crates everywhere in the cargo hold. Go figure. Obi-Wan glanced quickly at Ventress, and winced when it looked like Savage was gaining the upper hand. 

Glancing back towards Maul and spotting her lightsaber on his belt, Obi-Wan had an idea. A stupid idea, but an idea. Well, she supposed, she had complained about the red. That could’ve been the multiple blows to the head from the beating she took, but eh, might as well, right?

When Maul charged at her, red blade raised and ready to kill, she jumped to the side and spun, rolling on his back until his back was once again. Darting forward, she snatched her lightsaber off of his belt, and kicked him away hard before he could recover enough to realize she was in his personal space. 

“Ventress, catch!” Obi-Wan called out. She watched Ventress catch it and then spun around to face a recovering Maul, who was jumping up with a borderline feral snarl on his face. 

The Force was alive and loud as the four of them fought. Maul had no trouble projecting his rage and hate outwards, and it almost took her breath away. It swirled around him, dark and angry, and the strength of it made her dizzy.  
Maul should start a support group with Grievous. 

Obi-Wan ignited her own lightsaber, which practically sung in her hands, and the blue contrasted with the red around her. With renewed determination she faced Maul’s blows, and made a swing for his shiny new legs. He spun in the air and kicked her in back.

She lurched forward and swore she felt a rib crack as she landed hard on a crate. A warning in the Force had her ducking her head, and she felt the heat of the red lightsaber as it nearly took her head off. Obi-Wan grimaced at the smell of burnt hair as it caught a few fly away strands, grateful that her hair remained in a bun.

She didn’t really relish the idea of an impromptu haircut. 

Obi-Wan let out a pained exhale as Maul kicked her again, it a larger stack of crates, and she deactivated her lightsaber, scrambling onto the second level as Maul stalked forward, murder in his eyes and happy at her pain. 

At least she could make someone happy. Lately, all she seemed to do was piss her everyone off, and she winced at the brief reminder of the Hardeen Incident. 

Maul’s presence in the Force, however, let her know that he was also very pissed off.

She backed away from the ledge, mindful that she didn’t trip over anything (Force – she’d never live that down, if that was how she died, by tripping in a fight and getting killed for her mistake). She brought her lightsaber up in her right hand as she cradled her ribs with her left. 

With a shout, Maul jumped up in one smooth movement, his blade already lit in his hand. 

With a hiss-snap, she lit her own blade again, and to her it seemed bright blue shined as if in spite of the darkness around her.  
Maul held his up, charging forward on the attack. She slid into a defensive stance and then raised her blade to meet his, moving forward to meet him with a short, defiant shout of her own. 

Their blades clashed viciously and quickly, each of them wanting to end the fight and neither willing to lose. 

“Your master, Qui-Gon Jinn,” Maul started to say when his blade locked with hers, and she immediately she gritted her teeth. 

She forced her arms to hold her block as he used his weight to press down on her mercilessly. 

“I gutted him while you stood helpless and watched,” Maul told her with a sneer, and she wanted punch his ugly face. 

Force _damn _him, but he sounded pleased as he said it. As if that wasn’t one of the worst days of her life, as if she hadn’t had to deal with the pain of a bond that was snapped suddenly and unwillingly.__

____

“How did that make you _feel _, Obi-Wan?” He taunted her.__

____

She knew, logically, that he was trying to make her angry. 

She also knew it was working. She shoved forward, forcing him to pull his blade back, and now she was the one striking at him, a little more power than was strictly necessary behind them. She shouted again. 

Maul, as was his intention, blocked them. When she made a mistake, he was ready, and once more he struck out with a kick. Obi-Wan hit the wall behind her hard, and she blinked away the black spots in her eyes as she struggled to remember how to breathe. Her bones were not going to thank her in the morning. 

She wasn’t entirely sure that’d be a problem now, however. 

“Your rage has unbalanced you,” Maul remarks, curling his lip in another sneer. 

She hoped his face froze that way. 

“That is not the Jedi way,” he questioned mockingly, “is it?”

_That – ___

____

She stood, and moved to strike him with her lightsaber. He dodged around the pillar and she stumbled forward. A hard hit to her back sent Obi-Wan flying into the corner of the platform to the right of them. 

She twisted so that her back hit the wall rather than her head, and oh, sweet Force. 

Her bruises had bruises and each movement promised pain. 

Maul was apparently content to watch her, and she clenched her fist tighter around her lightsaber. Obi-Wan rushed forwards with a strike blindly, and Maul sidestepped, then kicked her once more on the back until she fell off of the platform and landed on her back beside Ventress below. 

What was up with all the kicking? She scrambled to her feet and held up her lightsaber again. 

“Trouble in paradise?” Ventress asked, keeping her blade raised and eyes focused on Savage. 

“We’re outmatched,” Obi-Wan gritted her teeth, but she wasn’t so blinded by rage than she couldn’t see the facts staring her right in the face. 

Savage was advancing on them warily but growing more confident, as if he could sense that they were in trouble. Given the fact that Obi-Wan was pretty sure she was probably bleeding internally, he wasn’t too off the mark. Force, she hoped she wasn’t. That’d just a whole new layer of problems. 

“You want to run?” Ventress suggested, sounding enthusiastic about the idea. 

At the moment, Obi-Wan was also pretty enthusiastic about it, too. 

Still, “I learned from watching you,” she snarked. 

Ventress pulled a face and looked over at her. “Fun _ny _.”__

__Obi-Wan gave a sunny, if tired grin in return._ _

____

“The cockpit?” Ventress asked, mind already thinking of ways to escape, and likely considering that this model of ship had a detachable cockpit. 

____

(In ships such as these, the cockpit detached in case the cargo being hauled got loose. She was suddenly thankful for Anakin’s love of ships and flying).

____

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement with Ventress, who’d probably been about to suggest escape right before she did. 

____

The Force blared a warning. 

____

“NOW!” Obi-Wan shouted, as Maul leapt down to attack and Savage pounced. 

____

Her own blade collided with Savage’s strike with hiss, and with a few quick movements Obi-Wan had ducking around Savage. She kept her blade up in preparation for another attack. 

____

Obi-Wan opened the door. 

____

“Come on, come on!” She urged Ventress. 

____

Savage had decided to abandon her in favor of focusing on the enemy he hated most, and was moving to trap Ventress between him and Maul. 

____

Ventress flipped forward and up. Thinking quickly, Obi-Wan used the Force to lift her high and safely over Savage. With a twirl Ventress landed on her feet facing Savage and Maul. 

____

Obi-Wan darted into the cockpit, and she felt in the Force as Ventress knocked Savage back and rushed into the cockpit. The door snapped shut behind her.

____

“Hurry, Kenobi!” Ventress snapped, keeping her eyes focused on the two brothers who had decided murdering someone was a fun bonding activity. 

____

Obi-Wan cursed, and worked on the control panel, preparing to detach the cockpit and thanking the Force that this model ship was the one the brothers chose.

____

“Come on, hurry!” Ventress shouted once more. 

____

The noise of metal groaning as a lightsaber cut through it didn’t sound promising, but Obi-Wan didn’t dare look back. The cockpit was too small a space to fight. They were cornered. The only options were leaving, or staying and dying.  
The Force was practically screaming a warning of _DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! ___

______ _ _

_No, really? _Obi-Wan told it sarcastically.__

________ _ _ _ _

She had no interest in dying on this ship. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Now would be a good time,” Ventress encouraged, an edge of fear to her voice. 

________ _ _ _ _

The stupid cockpit wouldn’t detach. She could feel both her own panic and Asajj’s panic in the Force and Obi-Wan cursed fluently in several languages. The ominous sounds behind her didn’t exactly help her panic, and it felt like her hands weren’t nearly moving fast enough because the stupid cockpit just wouldn’t attach and please. Not here, not now, not at the hands of Maul.  
She worked to punch in the final few commands, but it was stuck. 

________ _ _ _ _

Obi-Wan slammed her hands on buttons. “Blast!” 

________ _ _ _ _

The Force apparently liked her today.

________ _ _ _ _

Fortunately, that seemed to work. With a roar, the escape pod blasted away, and Obi-Wan gripped the controls to avoid flying backwards into Ventress. She heard a dull thud as Ventress likely hit the door hard, and then more noise as the other woman got up. 

________ _ _ _ _

“That,” Ventress commented, “was a little close.”

________ _ _ _ _

“You do know it’s not over,” Obi-Wan told her cautiously, not bothering to glance at her. 

________ _ _ _ _

Maul and Savage would be coming for both of them and Force but Obi-Wan didn’t want to think about it now, the implications of Maul being alive and what that meant. 

________ _ _ _ _

She had, after all, been knighted for defeating him. She couldn’t shake long held belief that she never deserved her seat on the Jedi Council and this only confirmed it. 

________ _ _ _ _

What did that make her, if Maul was alive?

________ _ _ _ _

Obi-Wan struggled to push those thoughts and feelings aside. 

________ _ _ _ _

“I know,” Ventress said with such quiet resignation that it almost made Obi-Wan pause. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Maul and Savage will be after us both now,” she told the younger woman, and her repetition apparently annoyed Ventress, who scowled at Obi-Wan. 

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress did, however, take note of the name of Savage’s brother. Maul. 

________ _ _ _ _

The two of them took a moment to breathe, satisfied with their narrow escape, though they weren’t quite safe yet. If Obi-Wan and Ventress listened hard enough, they’d probably be able to hear the shrieks of rage from the ship they left behind. 

________ _ _ _ _

Neither of them cared. Obi-Wan was more focused on piloting the ship and getting away as fast as possible.  
.  
.  
.  
She stayed standing for as long as she could, drawing on the Force, but eventually she couldn’t ignore the demand that her body was screaming at her for. Nor could she ignore the encouraging nudges from the Force. Obi-Wan moved away from the console after putting it on autopilot. She collapsed against the side of the small escape pod. 

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress started forward, then seemed to think better of it. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Kenobi?” She questioned from where she’d been leaning against the door for the better part of two hours. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Just need a minute,” Obi-Wan murmured, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. Her black eye was mostly swollen shut by this point anyways, so it wasn’t too hard to close it the rest of the way. Yay for the little things. 

________ _ _ _ _

The durasteel was cold, and it felt nice on her poor head. Ventress seemed to accept that, for she said nothing, but Obi-Wan could sense her wary curiosity in the Force. Ventress, she noted curiously, was no longer entirely a creature of anger and hatred. There was sadness and pain, and she was more grey than dark in her Force signature.

________ _ _ _ _

“So,” Obi-Wan asked, eyes still closed, “Where do you want to go?”

________ _ _ _ _

They didn’t have much fuel and if they went straight to Coruscant they’d make it, but Obi-Wan doubted Ventress wanted to go there, so they could probably make it to a nearby planet and drop Ventress off. Obi-Wan might be able to sell the escape pod and earn enough credits to buy passage to Coruscant. 

________ _ _ _ _

Currently, their course was Coruscant, but that was because Obi-Wan had needed a destination to enter in. 

________ _ _ _ _

“What?” 

________ _ _ _ _

Obi-Wan could feel Ventress’ stare on her. She didn't need to have her eyes open to do it. It seemed Ventress hadn’t considered that she had an option in where they were going, never mind the fact that the cockpit was too small and they were too exhausted to fight. 

________ _ _ _ _

She cracked one eye open, the one that wasn’t swollen completely swollen shut. 

________ _ _ _ _

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” she said carefully, “but you can’t exactly go to Coruscant without causing a scene.”

________ _ _ _ _

Asajj Ventress was a smart woman. Enough to realize the possibility that Obi-Wan was giving her for her help. 

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress snorted. “I’m not entirely sure you’d make it to your Temple if I left you now. Grievous could probably take you now.”

________ _ _ _ _

Rude. 

________ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

Obi-Wan frowned, opening her mouth to protest. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Killing you would be far too easy,” Ventress added with a wicked smirk. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Now that’s just being unfair,” Obi-Wan complained, but she allowed herself to relax despite the comment that killing her would be easy now. 

________ _ _ _ _

After all, they both knew it wouldn’t be easy. Not really.

________ _ _ _ _

Strange, how in this small escape pod with a woman who had tortured her and tried to kill her multiple times, Obi-Wan felt comfortable. More comfortable than she’d been for a while in this blasted war. 

________ _ _ _ _

The two of them lapsed into silence, neither of them really sure what to do with the other when there wasn’t a fight in the near future. Obi-Wan closed her eyes again, relatively peaceful considering the circumstances. 

________ _ _ _ _

She opened them when she felt Ventress push away from the wall and stroll to the controls. She watched as Ventress began fiddling with the buttons, looking at them. Obi-Wan thought she caught a glimpse of the fuel read out. 

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress, too, had apparently realized it was barely enough to make it to Coruscant. 

________ _ _ _ _

She glanced back at Obi-Wan. “I’m assuming by the fact that we didn’t crash we’re on autopilot?” 

________ _ _ _ _

“Your assumption would be correct,” Obi-Wan answered, then hesitated. Ventress had already stated she was heading with Obi-Wan, but she owed the woman.

________ _ _ _ _

If Ventress hadn’t come, she’d very likely have been dead at the hands of Maul and Savage. She didn’t want to continue pressing the woman, not really understanding why Ventress stayed when she should be running. As a wanted criminal, the Jedi Temple should be the last place Ventress would willingly go to. 

________ _ _ _ _

But then, Obi-Wan never really had been much for doing what was good for her, and she did owe Ventress. Well, disregarding their past together and the numerous murder attempts and the torture. 

________ _ _ _ _

If Cody were here he’d be throwing his helmet at her in exasperation. 

________ _ _ _ _

“The coordinates are for Coruscant,” she told Ventress, “Feel free to change them and ditch me if you are so inclined.”

________ _ _ _ _

It was a blatant offer to escape authorities for helping Obi-Wan escape Maul and Savage. 

________ _ _ _ _

Again, Ventress snorted. “Didn’t we already go through this? Your brat would hunt me down if they found your body and realized I was here.”

________ _ _ _ _

Obi-Wan frowned when she called Anakin a brat, but she had to concede her point. Ventress was right (though not about the brat part), and both of them knew it. Force signatures could linger, and Quinlan Vos would probably come in to figure out what happened. His gift with psychometry would eventually lead them to Ventress. 

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress’ former Master Dooku might be pleased, but there were rumors, confirmed by spies, that Ventress had left Dooku. Obi-Wan considered it was very likely that this was the first time in a long while where Ventress was considering what she wanted. 

________ _ _ _ _

“You’ve changed, you know,” Obi-Wan murmured, abruptly changing the subject. “Independence suits you.”

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress looked away, but Obi-Wan picked up a whisper of pleased surprised in the Force. The other woman walked away from the control panel and sat across from Obi-Wan. She eyed the Jedi Master critically. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Are you going to make it to Coruscant?”

________ _ _ _ _

Ventress didn’t sound like she particularly cared, more like she was a little kid poking something to see if it would move. Interested, but not really caring too much about what the answer was. Obi-Wan could feel Ventress brushing against her Force signature and then hastily pulling away. Obi-Wan caught vague impressions of pain and confusion. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Probably,” Obi-Wan did her best to smile cheerfully, and grimaced as she tasted blood from her split lip. 

________ _ _ _ _

Cautiously, she probed her ribs, using the Force to do a basic check. She wasn’t a healer, but she’d spent far too much time in the Halls of Healing, and the Clone Wars had refreshed many lessons from her padawan years. Not to mention Anakin's padawan years.

________ _ _ _ _

“No internal bleeding,” Obi-Wan announced, relieved. That was one less problem thankfully, and less time she had to spend in the Halls of Healing. 

________ _ _ _ _

Master Vokara Che would be most displeased to see her again. She nearly cringed just thinking of the fiery Twi’lek Jedi.

________ _ _ _ _

“Shame,” Ventress sighed. 

________ _ _ _ _

Opening her eyes, Obi-Wan pulled a face at her new frenemy. “Fun _ny _.”__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ventress rolled her eyes and responded with a vulgar gestured that had Obi-Wan desparately trying not to laugh, since with her ribs right now the action would hurt. Instead, she half-smiled, trying not to hurt her split lip again. The action felt weird. 

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Might have a sprained ankle,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully looking down at her leg, since as the adrenaline and the Force started to fade the ache in her leg made itself known. “And a concussion.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Oh, her head _hurt _.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__“You sure?” Ventress drawled, thinking of Maul’s beating, “Maybe I should hit you once more on the head for good measure?”_ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

There was nothing in the Force that suggested her threat was legitimate, and Ventress made no move to uncross her arms and grab her lightsaber. Indeed, her words almost sounded like she was teasing Obi-Wan. The joke brought up old memories, and Obi-Wan tried to brush away her uneasiness in favor of nursing the tentative truce between them. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Obi-Wan waved the hand not gently cradling her ribs, informing her, “My grandpadawan might tell you to hit hard in the hope that I’ll have some sense knocked into me.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ventress snorted, and looked away to hide what was definitely a small smile on her face. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The two of them slid once more into silence neither were quite willing to break. Talking more meant acknowledging the question of why Asajj had chosen to save Obi-Wan. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It could’ve been self-preservation, Obi-Wan reasoned. She could have done it because it improved her odds of escape. She could’ve done it planning to hold Obi-Wan hostage once they got to the Temple. Maybe it was foolishness, but Obi-Wan wasn’t too sure Ventress would try it. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The other woman seemed tired.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A feeling had her doubting Ventress would try anything, so Obi-Wan said nothing, not really wanting to spook Ventress. Again, she thought about how it was rather odd, to think of what war could do to people, to have to enemies – former enemies? – sitting across from each other on the floor of an escape pod. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She wondered about the other woman, and what Ventress was thinking, but Obi-Wan was reluctant to continue pressing further about the Temple. She’d given Asajj the chance to run, had told her where this escape pod was heading. Asajj had, for whatever reasons and despite her doubts, chosen to stay. Obi-Wan was essentially in her hands right now.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She could give the other woman this. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Want to look for any emergency rations?” Obi-Wan suggested.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mace Windu is too old to deal with Kenobi's antics. They're bad for his blood pressure.

“Where is she?” Anakin asked, fidgeting with his fingers, and he didn’t want to know the answer. 

Didn’t want to hear someone say out loud what he’d felt, what had woken him up this early in the morning. The pain that had practically screamed down the bond, the fear and the anger. Didn't want to know why the Force was - why the Force felt different, why it seemed almost sorry and concerned and a thousand other things. Or maybe that was just his own feelings echoing back towards him.

Whether or not he wanted to know was irrelevant. He needed to know. He felt it in his bones, in the way the Force was screaming out at him, in the way the bond that he’d blocked off seemed dangerously stretched thin behind the shields. He worked desperately on removing them, reaching out and hoping for an answer. Obi-Wan felt very far away.

“Skywalker,” Mace nodded solemnly in acknowledgement, before sighing heavily. Commander Ponds, Mace’s Commander, stood a few steps behind Mace.

Giving Anakin and Mace privacy, even as Commander Ponds looked ready to haul Mace off to a healer, since the older Jedi Master looked as if he felt every single one of his years.

“Mace,” Anakin started, “Master Windu –“ but the Jedi Master held up a hand.

Anakin was good at reading people. And what he found in Mace’s eyes, he didn’t like.

“Anakin,” Mace explained, “Obi-Wan went on a mission.”

He wanted to start shaking his head, to back away, to do something. His feet wouldn’t obey. This, this was something out of his nightmares.

“She hasn’t contact us, or come back,” Mace said softly, and paused, before adding, “She was confronting Darth Maul.”

Mace didn't say anything more, but Anakin could tell the Jedi Master wanted to ask if Anakin could still feel Obi-Wan in their bond. Bad. That was bad. That meant they weren't in contact with her. He stared at a spot on the wall behind Mace.

“Maul,” Anakin repeated, and flashes of memory came back to him of that day so long ago in the desert.

A red lightsaber. Horns. Red skin and black markings. Burning yellow eyes.

He tried to speak but found his voice wasn’t cooperating, and tried, desperately, to remember something about Obi-Wan. What was the last thing he’d said to her? He couldn’t remember; he could not remember. Anakin hadn’t been speaking to Obi-Wan because of the Hardeen mess, but she had tried to speak to him, and - He'd spoken to Satine about Obi-Wan, and the Duchess of Mandalore was furious with Obi-Wan but she'd tried to tell him he needed to speak to her about this. Had she known about this mission?

Oh sweet Force.

Anakin was going to throw up.

“Where was her back up,” he demanded, latching on to that, because surely they wouldn’t have let her go in alone because that would have been karking stupid.

She must have been trying to tell him about this; trying to tell him she was leaving. Had she wanted him to come with?

“There was none,” Mace finally said, looking as if the admission pained him. “Maul stated she had to go alone, or he’d slaughter more younglings. We made a decision with the time and knowledge that we had.”

More?

Anakin was definitely going to throw up.

“It was a trap,” he hissed, “and you let her walk right into it!”

Mace didn’t bother to respond, and Anakin realized it was because the Korun Master agreed with Anakin. Probably had even argued with Obi-Wan about it, which surprised Anakin.

He’d once made a bet with Obi-Wan that he’d never be on the same page with Master Windu, and never got the strange friendship she had with the grumpy Jedi Master. Looked like he owed Obi-Wan box of her favorite tea and a week of having his nails painted 212th gold. But would that even happen now?

He wanted to howl -

He wanted to stop feeling like his heart and his lungs had been ripped out and he could start breathing again –

He felt jagged at the edges, split wide open, and Anakin couldn’t stop trying to remember the last thing he’d said to Obi-Wan because oh Force.

"The bond," Anakin tried to tell Mace, but apparently that was all the Jedi Master needed, because Mace nodded. It seemed, to Anakin, that he even relaxed ever so slightly. Or was simply less tense than before.

What happened?

She couldn’t be gone; she was Obi-Wan. He tried to use the knowledge that the bond was still present as reassurance, as proof that she was still alive but the bond was stretched too thin and too tight and the pain he'd felt from her side of the bond to make it past his shields - Anakin didn't want to consider that. 

Obi-Wan drank that stupid leaf water and argued politics despite hating most politicians and kicked ass in lightsaber battles and attracted danger like she was a karking trouble magnet and Obi-Wan had raised him and –

And –

And –

And nothing. His mind raced ahead, considering all of the worst possibilities.

She could be gone, he’d never hear her laugh again, see that smirk when she made fun of him, the way her blue eyes shined with concern as she helped him limp off the battle field, the memorable and quite frankly terrifying occasions that she teamed up with Padme, who claimed Obi-Wan was the best sister-in-law. The times where she laughed with Ahsoka, attempting to convince the younger girl of the merits of tea.

He hadn’t realized he’d fallen to his knees, but Mace, Mace Windu, Mace karking Windu of all people had his hands on Anakin’s shoulders and was telling the young Knight to breathe.

He tried to remember how, but his breathing felt normal. Feeling like he’d just been punched in the gut – that wasn’t. Feeling like his world had shifted underneath his feet without his permission - that wasn't.

“Skywalker,” Mace spoke tiredly, with the air of someone who lacked conviction in what they were saying, “Anakin. There’s still a chance. You spoke of the bond still being present.”

Anakin could see the quiet devastation lurking behind Mace’s eyes and knew this was something that would haunt the both of them. He would've felt it, after all, if the bond had snapped. Even behind his shields. Since Obi-Wan hadn't made contact the possibility that she was alive and in Maul's hands was somehow worse.

He wished Obi-Wan was here so he could yell at her and ask her what the Sith hells she was thinking. He wished she were here to make another crack about his landings. He wished she were here to teach Ahsoka more. He wished she were here so he could talk to her about Hardeen. Or just talk to her about anything. Sometimes it felt like this war was twisting everyone into people Anakin wasn't sure he recognized.

“Please,” he found himself asking, “Please.”

Please don’t take his sister away from him. Don’t let Cody lose his Jedi. Don’t let Quinlan and Bant and Garen lose their friend. Don’t Yoda and even that Sith damned bastard Dooku lose a grandpadawan. Don’t let Ahsoka lose her grandmaster. Don’t let Anakin lose his sister.

_Please _, Anakin thought. He tried to send it down his bond with Obi-Wan, his shields now completely down on it, and the bond was silent, the way it always felt when they were far apart. Still, he tried, pulling and pleading and reaching.__

____

He received no answer.

____

_Please. ___

____


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Commander Cody and the rest of the council member. Also more Obi-Wan and Ventress.

The call came in the middle of the night. Through it, the odd note to General Skywalker's voice had tipped Cody off that something had happened, and Skywalker had asked if Obi-Wan was with them. Cody had to reply that no, she wasn't, as far as he knew she was at the temple. General Skywalker had replied that it was nothing, and he had to go speak to Master Windu. Given that Anakin would rather jump out a window than willingly talk to the Jedi Master, that was his first clue.

Ponds, in the end, was the one who called him and told him to come over.

And Cody, damn him, came running.

Because Kenobi may be a stupid prick at times, but she was still his Jedi. Cody’s Jedi. He’d follow her into any battle. He hastily put on his armor, prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, because who knew with these karking Jedi? Other members of the 212th shot him questioning looks, but Cody ignored them in favor of rushing to leave. A few, such as Waxer and Boil, had questioned if they needed to come and even grabbed their gear, but Cody ordered them to stay.

The shuttle to the Jedi Temple felt too long, and as soon as he was able to exit and set foot on solid ground, Cody was sprinting to the Council Chambers. Thankfully, there weren’t many people around to slow him down, otherwise Cody would’ve run them over in his haste. He didn't care at the moment if someone got a couple of bruises because he ran into them.

When he reached the room, panting slightly from the run, Cody took note that every chair was filled, whether by hologram or in the case of Master Windu and Master Yoda they were physically present. It felt like the beginning of a cheesy holoflick Ahsoka liked to watch when Cody glanced at where Obi-Wan normally sat and saw that it was the only one empty.

Why was it always something with Skywalker or Kenobi? He frowned heavily, wishing his Jedi could just give him a moment's peace. He still hadn't had the chance to talk with her about the Hardeen Incident, which had been an absolute nightmare that Cody was still pissed about it. When she'd tried to talk with him after he had refused to see, needing time to comprehend what had just happened.

Despite being his superior officer and fully capable of ordering him to talk to her, Obi-Wan acquiesced to his desire for a moment to think. She'd given the 212th two weeks' worth of leave, and they were all grateful for it. He knew some of his brothers were unsettled and felt betrayed.

Anakin stood by the doors, ashen faced and with a hand resting on Ahsoka’s shoulder. The young Togruta girl was quiet, and appeared to be deep in thought. Cody joined them and the trio walked inside to where the Jedi Council, minus one, waited.

“Tell them,” General Skywalker said flatly to General Windu, General Yoda, and General Koon. 

The three masters shared an unreadable look, then nodded. 

Cody snapped to attention awaiting info from the stone faced Jedi, who told Cody why his general was not here. Cody wasn’t a commander for nothing, and had assumed something happened even if he hoped it wasn’t true but every chair was filled except one. The anger and fear burned as bright as the twin suns of Tatooine in Skywalker’s eyes.

He stilled at the news, at the knowledge that they'd sent her alone and without back up, before straightening himself out.

Cody asked, a bit too sharply, “And there’s nothing we can do?”

“Nothing that hasn’t already been done,” Mace replied regretfully. “The Chancellor deemed into a waste of resources that could go to the war effort since this was, technically, a mission outside of the war.”

What Mace didn’t add, and everyone else heard, was that the Chancellor could go kark himself. Mace considered the Chancellor’s decision a stupid ass one, as did many of the other Jedi in this room. Cody scowled and wanted to be pissed off but was mostly just tired because they needed to have a long discussion about Hardeen but the war would not wait for them to have it.

“What,” Anakin narrowed his eyes, and oh dear he clearly hadn’t heard that bit.

Cody refrained from wincing, remembering that Anakin was on friendly terms with the Chancellor, even as he wanted to ask the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine a few questions himself. Hell, Obi-Wan was one of the most valuable ‘resources’ that Republic had in this war. She was the High General of the Third Systems army. He narrowed his eyes and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

Mace only nodded, and Anakin pursed his lips, but said nothing. Cody noted the effort not to had him crossing his arms tightly.

“You have attempted to make contact with her?” Plo Koon asked with concern. His hand rested on his chin thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Mace said tiredly, “Signal lost. Her holocomm as well.”

Indicating both vessel and holocomm had been destroyed. Possibly not entirely unusual, given that Raydonia was in the Outer Rim territories. 

“With all due respect, sirs,” Cody interjected, and all eyes turned towards him in eerie synchronization. “General Kenobi isn’t exactly known for keeping her holocomm intact.”

It was his own weak attempt to grasp for something reassuring. He refused to see that as such, however. Cody was a Commander. He knew the realities of war.

Anakin chuckled hollowly, and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose you have a point there, Cody.”

The Clone Commander nodded, and nearly jumped when a hand was put on his shoulder. A glance backwards revealed it was Ponds, and how off his game was Cody to not even realize Ponds was here? His expression darkened. 

“Now we wait,” Shaak Ti said, sounding displeased with the idea.

“Now we wait,” Mace agreed, not sounding very happy with it either.

Cody could safely say that he wasn't happy either. 

Anakin was ready to say kark it all and go find a ship, but he wouldn’t know where to start. Ahsoka would probably join them and they might be able to start by searching areas around Raydonia. Obi-Wan wasn’t on the planet anymore, nor was Maul. That much, at least, they’d found out, from sending the nearby Kit Fisto to investigate, though the Nautolan Jedi Master had to leave soon after when the war called.

Always with this war. 

It was an effort for Anakin not to grind his teeth. It was going to be a long night.  
.  
.  
.

Coruscant was rapidly becoming closer and closer, and their fuel was dwindling lower. They eventually did manage to find emergency rations, though the four ration bars and canteen of water wasn't much. They split the ration bars and shared the water between themselves. Hours passed and Ventress found herself once more sitting across from Kenobi. It wasn't like there was a lot of room.

"Tell, Ventress," Obi-Wan cocked her head, asking suddenly, "Have you ever heard of a walk-in?"

She had to repeat what the Jedi Master said just to make sure that she'd heard that correctly.

"You've lost your kriffin' mind," Asajj Ventress snorted.

"You flatter me," Obi-Wan deadpanned. She shook her head, then immediately regetted it as her head started to swim. Obi-Wan hissed and gritted her teeth. "Believe it or not, that's not the first time I've been told that."

"That surprises me so much," Ventress said sarcastically.

Obi-Wan chuckled, then winced as her ribs hurt. She dragged a hand through her copper hair, and decided to try broaching the subject again. 

"I mean it, you know," she told the younger woman. "A walk-in. You could claim asylum from Dooku. He has tried to kill you."

"Do you knew how many ways that can and will go wrong?" Ventress shot her an incredulous look. "Have we been fighting in the same war?"

Of course she knew what a walk-in was. She just highly doubted it would work for her. 

"Come now, Asajj," Obi-Wan said, and her smile was sad as she stated, "It's never too late to change the path that you're on."

Ventress stared at the other woman, hard. She didn't say anything more, merely shaking her head and wondering if Kenobi was going a bit loopy form the pain. 

A walk-in. She'd have to be completely out of options to go along with that.

"I like my path just fine, thanks," Asajj said wryly, even as she thought of the Night Sisters on Dathomir and what Grievous had wrought. 

Kenobi was an irritating Light Side itch, and Ventress should launch the woman out of the air lock. Except there wasn't really an airlock on this thing and if she opened the door they'd both be dead.

Kenobi merely nodded. "If that is what you wish."

Ventress should let it go. She can end the conversation right there and not have to talk more about the ludicrous notion of a walk-in.

She crossed her arms. "Look, I'm sure coming from you the offer is genuine because you're an idiot."

"Thank you?" Obi-Wan wasn't entirely sure if that was an insult or a compliment. 

"But I'm not sure the rest of the Jedi would be thinking the same as you," Ventress pointed out. 

Obi-Wan sighed. "You don't know that for sure."

"I'm not willing to lose a limb trying to find out," Ventress scowled deeply, and dug her fingers into her arms. 

"Very well," Obi-Wan held up her hands, wincing as her ribs shifted in a direction that definitely did not feel okay. 

Obi-Wan gritted her took a couple breaths and tried not to move any further, her right arm going back around to cradle her ribs.

"What's next?" Ventress snorted. "You want to debate Sith and Jedi philosophy?"

"Well, if you're offfering," Obi-Wan grinned lopsidededly at the foul curse the other woman spat out. 

Ventress' stomach rumbled, as if in protest of the two ration bars she eaten, and she muttered threats to Kenobi under her breath. To her credit, the Jedi Master chucked her second uneaten ration bar at Ventress, who caught it one handed. 

"If I eat that I might puke," Obi-Wan offered as an explanation, though she hadn't asked in favor of ripping open and devouring the ration bar. 

"Thanks," she said grudgingly. 

"It's fine," Obi-Wan shrugged. "You know, my former padawan would say that food is the great uniter and the great divider."

She had to stop herself from snorting and continued munching contentedly on the ration bar, which somehow tasted worse than it looked. 

"What's the plan when we get to Coruscant?" Ventress asked, voice muffled by a mouthful of ration bar. 

Obi-Wan crinkled her nose. "Close your mouth, you heathen."

Ventress took a large bite of the bar, chewed, then opened her mouth. Kenobi's disgusted face was priceless. 

"So uncivilized," she muttered.

Ventress grinned, pleased with herself. She finished the ration bar and then clapped her hands together loudly, wiping them on her pants to get rid of the crumbs. Kenobi gave her an almost glare, and she gave a small little smile that made the other woman roll her eyes.

"So," she tried again, "plan?"

The Jedi frowned thoughtfully, going over the ideas that had been rolling around in the back of her mind.

"We have a couple options," Obi-Wan mused, "We go straight to the Jedi Temple and I give my clearance code. You'll probably be arrested." She paused, before adding, "That's my favorite option."

Ventress flicked the ration bar wrapper at her, which missed. "Ass."

The ghost of a smile flickered across the Jedi's face.

"Or," Obi-Wan continued, "We land somewhere else on Coruscant, you leave, and I find a way to contact the Jedi Temple to retrieve me. Thoughts?"

"I like the second one better," Ventress informed the Jedi Master. 

"Of course," Obi-Wan sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Walk-In: term used to describe a defector who declares his or her intentions by walking into an official installation and asking for political asylum or volunteering to work in-place.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinlan's seen his fair share of Obi-Wan looking like bantha poodoo, but this has to be one of the times where she especially looked like it. He also firmly believes that her (former) padawan is an idiot and her grandpadawan is a Force-given blessing. He's also been well aware that Obi-Wan Kenobi is a functional disaster since the Creche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That brief moment of panic when you press the post button before you're ready.

Anakin Skywalker wondered how many times he’d have to grieve Obi-Wan Kenobi.

That wasn’t exactly fair to say but, well, there was Jabiim, and most recently Hardeen. Countless other missions and battles where she’d almost died. Point Rain, which had been a close call.

The longer time went on without word from Obi-Wan the more Anakin reached for her through the bond, her Force signature only there in the dimmest sense. It was frustrating and not nearly clear enough. Their bond was one of the strongest in the Order, but long distances stretched it thin, and Obi-Wan had some of the best shields in the Order. Her pain, Anakin knew all too well, was something she frequently shielded from him.

He couldn’t get too mad about that. Anakin was also guilty of it.

What he could get mad about was her leaving him behind, her faking her death and then having the audacity to end up in a life-threatening situation before they could even talk about the whole Fake-Death-Complete-With-Funeral thing.

It made Anakin want to throw a very age inappropriate temper tantrum, one Ahsoka would probably film and give to Rex for future black mail. Most likely it'd be used to force him into a checkup with Kix.

This culminated with him generally being in a pretty foul mood. Ahsoka had tried talking to him, but then she left, most likely to prep the troops for their upcoming assignment given to them by the Jedi Council. The assignment made Anakin want to scream and tell the Council where to shove their lightsabers, but he refrained.

Ahsoka had sent a warning through their bond and honestly, Anakin wondered who the adult was between them.

Heading up to the Council to argue with them yet again why they should assign him to go after Obi-Wan instead of What’s-It-Planet hadn’t been his plan for the day, but Anakin pushed forward.

He had a plan. Or, rather, a vague outline of a plan.

Quinlan Vos, smile sharp and little wicked from where he leaned against the wall outside the chambers, greeted Anakin with a nod of his head. Still flecked with some dirt, he looked like he came right from a battle field.

This would work, Anakin told himself. He ignored the little voice that said it wouldn’t, which sounded suspiciously like Obi-Wan.

She wasn’t here to be the voice of reason, after all.

~~~~~~~~~

They kept coming back to the same argument, in the end.

None of them even knew where to begin looking for Obi-Wan.

It was a big galaxy.

Anakin was suggesting that he have Quinlan Vos, one of the best trackers in the Order, help him. It made sense. Why couldn’t the Council see it from his point of view?

(See, Rex? He could be strategic! He had more plans than simply attack! Not that arguing outright with the Council had been successful, hence the reason Anakin switched tactics and contacted Vos.)

“Knight Skywalker,” Mace said, that familiar ‘Why Anakin’ look on his face which said he regretted said man ever joining the Order, “We do not know where to begin. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Jedi Master fully capable of taking care of herself.”

“So you’re giving up on her?” Anakin interrupted, eyes accusing. He crossed his arms, aware that his frustration must be leaking from his shields and finding he didn’t care.

“We want her back,” Mace repeated, “At the moment however her position remains unknown.”

Frustrated, Anakin snapped out, “And that’s why you need to send m – us to find her.”

He thought he saw Mace's eye twitch.

“Master Windu,” Vos spoke up and that’s when Anakin stopped hearing what was being said.

His heart leapt to his throat.

Anakin staggered in the middle of the Council room, reaching for Obi-Wan through the bond and finding the shielding still there, but as he touched it there was the barest whisper of an apology. She still felt distant, but in the closer sense. She was in pain, but no immediate danger. A darkness he hadn’t even been fully aware of choking out her Force presence was gone, and she blazed brightly on her end. The relief hit him hard enough he almost fell to his knees but recovered some semblance of composure in time.

The Councilors looked at him in concern. Plo Koon was halfway out of his chair. Behind Anakin he was aware of Vos, tense and ready.

“I,” Anakin swallowed, “She’s shielding her end, but I think she’s on her way here.”

The ensuing discussion lasted hours.

~~~~~~~~~

Arms crossed and his feet should width apart, Anakin stood by the transport. He looked ready for a fight, and he also looked terrible. Dark circles and messier hair than usual, clothing which looked as if he had only barely bothered to put it on correctly.

Quinlan sighed. He’d expected this, since the Council tasked him with retrieving Obi-Wan and Skywalker’s displeasure was openly visible before he hid it. Poorly, Quinlan might add.

It was a clever move on the Council’s part. As such, he was the one who decided whether or not the hothead young Knight would come with to retrieve Obi-Wan, since the Council had never explicitly given Anakin permission to go.

Instead, they’d merely reminded the young Knight of a few details of his upcoming assignment.

Quinlan hated them all. Except maybe Obi-Wan, on a good day. Today wasn't a good day, but he was more worried than he was pissed off at the moment.

“Are we leaving now?” Anakin asked curtly, not even looking at him.

He was so tense that Quinlan was half tempted to poke him with a stick. Maybe he’d jump.

“You’re not coming,” he said immediately, cutting straight to the bad news and skipping the pleasantries.

“What,” Anakin narrowed his eyes, like he’d dearly love to skewer Quinlan with his lightsaber.

The Kiffar narrowed his eyes right back.

“You’re not going,” he said slowly, enunciating each word.

“She’s my master.”

Quinlan did understand. Really. Master Tholme had been – he’d meant so much to him. But he thought of his friend, exhausted and hurt in physical and mental ways, and knew he wanted Anakin Skywalker nowhere near her at the moment. He was, admittedly, very pissed at her for Hardeen. He also knew that anything to make her return easier, he would do, and a questioning angry former padawan wasn't part of that.

“There is a list with the very few people that I would not go up against Obi-Wan for,” Quinlan cocked his head, “And fortunately for me, Skywalker, you are not on that list.”

“I have to be there,” Anakin argued, fire blazing in his eyes.

Force, how had Obi-Wan handled his teenage years and come out sane?

“No, you don’t,” Quinlan answered.

Perhaps she hadn’t. It would explain a lot.

“Yes I do,” he insisted, voice low and dark, “The Council knows I’m going and I have to see her – please.”

The anger broke, and through that, Quinlan saw the desperation and the fear. It didn't change his decision. He still shook his head.

“I’m sorry.”

The resulting scowl would’ve impressed even Mace Windu.

“I called you here, you have to let me – “

Quinlan cut the boy off before he could land himself in further trouble.

“Skywalker,” he hissed, “I do not ‘have to’ anything. Please think, for one moment, about how Obi-Wan is right now.”

“I am,” Anakin said immediately, “That’s why I’m going.”

The Force swirled around him furiously, his rage and grief and worry giving Quinlan an Anakin-sized headache. The boy was strong in the Force, overwhelmingly so if one wasn't shielding their mind tightly.

“She’s probably in bad shape right now. Her shields are most likely worse than normal. You, right now? If you see her I can’t say if you’ll scream at her and make it worse, or not.”

Anakin seemed to falter as he considered Quinlan’s comments.

“I – I’m a little angry,” Anakin admitted, stubbornly continuing, “But that doesn’t mean – “

“Doesn’t mean what?” Quinlan challenged. “Face it, Skywalker, you’re furious at her. You have every right to be. But this isn’t the time, nor is it the place. Come back and talk to her with a cooler head.”

“I have to go,” Anakin continued to protest, “I need to see her.”

Was he whining? Quinlan fought the desire to pinch the bridge of his nose to stave off the headache.

“Well, you’re not," Quinlan looked Anakin right in the eyes.

He half-expected Skywalker to come anyways, but the young Knight backed off, his jaw clenched.

~~~~~

Obi-Wan was lying on the floor of their escape pod, cradling her ribs and admittedly was rather thirsty, as she hadn't had anything in a while. Her only company, Ventress, had left with the excuse of having no desire to be arrested which was, okay, understandable. Obi-Wan had been to a few places she'd nearly (or actually) been arrested and it wasn't fun. Getting arrested wasn't anything like it was portrayed in the holodramas Anakin loved so much. This didn't make her any less miserable.

She thought about trying to leave and make her way to the Temple herself, but she had a very strong feeling she should wait. Granted, her lack of desire to move also helped, so she didn't really need much convincing on that front. She was half-surprised Anakin hadn't come storming in the minute she landed, while Ahsoka followed.

Anakin's emotions on his end of the bond were turbulent and she did her best to dampen them while sending reassurance. She felt a little guilty for shielding her end of the bond, but she needed to be able to think. Obi-Wan already had enough of a headache. She kept her eyes closed, leaning her head against cool durasteel.

The door of her little sanctuary prison opened with a hiss, and Obi-Wan let out a breathy, half-hearted chuckle as she felt the Force presence of her new guest.

"Well," a familiar voice snorted, "You look better than usual."

It hurt to smile, but Obi-Wan made her best attempt as she opened her eyes. She didn't need the Force to know that he was lying, or that he was concerned. He wasn’t who she expected to show up, but his presence was welcome all the same. Until he started annoying her, that was. Which was often.

"Thank you. Truly." She sat up a little and watched him as best she could.

"I aim to please," Quinlan Vos grinned charmingly.

Or what the Kiffar Jedi thought was charmingly. She wrinkled her nose, and his grinned widened. A quick check with the Force told her who was missing, judging by the lack of a whirlwind presence.

"I'm surprised my former padawan isn't with you," she offered, happy to talk to someone new after a few hours alone with Ventress and her thoughts.

Quinlan's grin faded into a grimace. Oh dear. What had Anakin done now?

"So am I," he answered truthfully, "Skywalker wasn't particular thrilled about it, but he has orders. Last I heard he was arguing with the Council while your grandpadawan was prepping to leave."

Sounded like Anakin. She wondered what stopped him. Probably himself. A determined Anakin had very little that could knock him off his course.

She exhaled slowly. "Ahsoka's got a good head on her shoulders."

It explained the emotions she was feeling from Anakin's side of the bond. At least it made it easier to give Asajj Ventress the head start. Standing over her battered body wouldn't exactly look good.

"Yeah," he agreed, "Tano does. Cute kid. Reminds me of someone I knew. Can't say the same about your padawan, however."

"Not my padawan now," she murmured automatically.

"Tell him to stop acting like one," he countered, a mulish look on his face that told her he really wasn't happy with Anakin.

A tiny, hysterical little part of her almost wanted to laugh if she didn’t risk her broken ribs puncturing a lung.

"Quin," she said quietly, probably looking as pathetic as she felt at this moment.

Everything just needed to stop hurting if she moved it a certain way and some water or food that wasn't a ration bar sounded wonderful at the moment. This argument, discussion, whatever, she didn't want to get into it right now. What she needed wasn't what she would get, most likely. Maul was still out there, along with his brother.

She closed her eyes once more as the light, though dim, bothered her. Obi-Wan heard Quinlan sigh heavily, then the sound of more footsteps as he walked closer to her. She tensed as she sensed his intent and he gently pulled her to her feet without any warning.

Obi-Wan grunted. Opening her eyes as best she could, she hissed, "You nerfherder."

"C'mon." He hooked her arm across his shoulders. "Let's get you home."

It didn't lessen the urge to punch him, nor did it make her heart rate calm down, but she gritted her teeth against the pain.

"A little warning would've been nice," she grumbled.

"Then you never would've gotten up," Quinlan grunted as he supported her (too light) weight as the pair slowly hobbled out.

He made a mental note to give Bant a warning. The Healer would happily sit Obi-Wan down until the stubborn woman was at least eating meals somewhat regularly in the Temple, even if Obi-Wan wasn't in it that much. His poor friend had become one of the symbols of the Jedi Order in the war. Mace was only too happy to have someone else fulfill that role, but he did seem to worry about the auburn haired woman.

For her part, Obi-Wan wasn't sorry to leave the little ship behind. Noticing his movements, she tried to help Quinlan as best she could, but her brain wasn't really in control of her limbs at the moment. He ended up mostly pulling her along and his presence in the Force brushed up against hers almost in apology when she winced and worked to control her breathing.

"Where's the shuttle?" Obi-Wan rasped out, then coughed.

She caught Quinlan looking over at her worriedly, possibly checking for blood, but she couldn't taste any in her mouth other than the blood from the beating, which was mostly washed away by the water she'd split with Ventress a few hours ago. It wasn't that comforting of a thought, but if Obi-Wan was going to bleed out she probably would be dead by now. Logically, in her head she knew that she spent a decent amount of time with Maul, even if most of the time was spent unconscious, beaten to a pulp, and/or taunted.

For all his rage, Maul had been cold and calculating in using the time she spent with him. He didn’t want it to be quick. It was probably the only reason she was alive.

She pushed this thought to the back of her mind and instead thought longingly of water once more. Obi-Wan would readily admit that she'd take on Dooku himself for a glass of water at the moment. She'd also lose, but that was beside the point. She panted, wondering if they were any closer, and knew that they hadn’t walked that far. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw another concerned look thrown her way. Obi-Wan really hoped Quinlan had a shuttle, or at least a speeder they could take to the temple. She didn't really feel like public transportation at the moment.

The pictures would send the HoloNet into a snit, and it'd be rather rude to get up the Separatist hopes of her impending demise. Especially when she already ruined them not too long ago, even going so far as having a funeral before it was eventually revealed that she was alive. It'd be rude to do it again so soon.

"Not that far," he answered.

"Hooray," Obi-Wan's mouth curled into a grimace.

~~~~~

Half-dragging a barely conscious Obi-Wan Kenobi and leaving her to the mercy of those in the Halls of Healing hadn't exactly been Quinlan Vos' plan for the day, but that was how life had worked out when Anakin Skywalker had called. She was nearly unconscious by the time he took her in, both Master Che and Bant waiting for one of their most frequent patients serenely.

Quinlan wasn't fooled. Bant's fidgeting hands and the way Master Che's lekku twitched when she saw Obi-Wan were what gave it away. Doing what he did, he was used to reading people. If he wasn't good at it, he'd be dead.

"Now look what you've done with yourself, girl," Master Che chided the Jedi Master, "Gone and ruined all our hard work from last time."

Obi-Wan faked a bright grin, a little lopsided considering she was pretty out of it now. Quinlan was lucky she hadn't passed out yet, otherwise the Healers would've given him crap for letting her do it.

"But my dear Master Che, however else would I see you?"

"Idiot," Bant muttered, hurrying to join Quinlan on the other side of Obi-Wan. The two of them shared a look together and he shook his head.

Quinlan was abruptly shoved from his position supporting Obi-Wan by Master Che. He watched Bant and Vokara quickly carry Obi-Wan off. He'd just managed to avoid having them meet the two of them in the hanger since while she was in bad shape she wasn't critical. Trusting her to make her own way to the Halls had been out of the question.

There were, he had noted, a few Jedi in the Temple they passed that had looked at them in alarm. Quinlan had waved them away as best he could. There weren't nearly as many Jedi in the Temple as there was before the war, and most likely they recognized Obi-Wan. If not from her exploits in the war, then it was the recent Hardeen mess, which from the rumors Quinlan had heard was a bit of a controversial move.

Speaking of which, he still needed to talk to her about that, and by 'talk' he meant kick her ass around in sparring.

Admittedly, it was hard to be angry at someone when they were literally bleeding on you. Harder still when the person who killed their master was back, when you could remember holding them on the floor of a darkened kitchen as they cried silently, trying not to wake the boy in the other room.

As far as he was concerned, Maul’s return left Obi-Wan with a damn good excuse, but it didn’t negate the need for them talk.

~~~~~

She drummed her fingers against her leg in a steady beat, listening to the machines monitoring her as they whirred softly and beeped.

Bacta smelled absolutely terrible, but there was no denying it worked miracles. Already her bruises were faded, though still horrible, and she was healing. Master Che had been insistent on Obi-Wan staying longer, and it was with great reluctance that Obi-Wan remained in the Halls hours later.

She wanted nothing more than to leave, but leaving also meant facing Anakin and/or talking to him, and neither option was very appealing. Contrary to what some may think, she was aware that she'd karked up with Hardeen. It seemed to overshadow everything, and when she closed her eyes she could hear herself agreeing to the mission. She didn't know what to do with the information, and how to talk to Anakin.

Talking to Anakin used to be a whole lot easier, at the start of all this.

Restless, she tried to sleep.

Light flooded the room as the door slid open. She squinted and blinked, trying to see who was standing in the doorway. Obi-Wan highly doubted it was Maul, back for another attempt at killing her so soon, but after being cut in half and surviving at this point she couldn't put anything past him.

She twitched, reaching for a lightsaber at her belt that wasn’t there. Her attempt to sit up left her choking back a pained gasped when her healing ribs reminded her why that wasn't a good idea.

Anakin Skywalker stood in the doorway. She couldn’t see his face very well, eyes still adjusting, but he had a deep frown. Like he was accusing her.

"You're back," he said with apparent annoyance and great relief.

What, was she supposed to die?

Hello to you, too, she wanted to say, but as soon as she opened her mouth she coughed harshly. Her former padawan offered her a glass of water that had clearly been left for when she woke up. Obi-Wan took it, and nodded her thanks as she fought back another cough.

"I'm back," she agreed roughly.

He shifted his feet, emotions pouring past her shield even as he tried his best to keep them behind his own shields. Anakin wasn't particularly quiet in the Force. The agitation that leaked through made her wonder where he was going with this.

"Ahsoka says hi," Anakin shrugged, voice stilted and monotone, "but she couldn't come visit. We're leaving soon on another deployment."

Or Ahsoka hadn't wanted to come visit. She said nothing.

"Guess I just had to make sure," and now he was scowling, "and see you this time."

She winced, but quickly hid it.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed. She brought one hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

He turned his back away and left. It might have been her imagination, but as he left the shadows followed, the darkness chasing after him.

She watched him go helplessly.

~~~~~~

When Obi-Wan successfully snuck out of the Halls of Healing, she didn't feel like returning to dark, empty quarters. Nor did she feel like chatting with Commander Cody, as he and the rest of the 212th still glanced at her with confused hurt, like she kicked them while they were down and they don’t know why.

The men, true to their training and their own credit, were perfectly civil, but they didn't - they weren't comfortable around her anymore. She could feel it in the Force, and it cut through her more than she was comfortable with. More than she should be comfortable with.

Force, she was a terrible Jedi.

Obi-Wan made her way to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and breathed deeply as she walked inside and searched for a spot to meditate, allowing herself the time to wander. She'd always liked this place, and enjoyed the general feeling of calm, the living Force very easy to reach and feel. Now, however, with so many Jedi gone and the Temple more empty than before, it felt melancholy.

Like the Temple itself was mourning.

Time would tell if she and her men were still a cohesive unit on the field, because if they couldn't trust their commanding officer - her - then Obi-Wan knew it wouldn't end well. She'd understand if they wished to request a different general. She didn't want to put their life in danger because they couldn't trust her.

(Cody hadn't looked her in the eye, after Hardeen. He’d shaken his head when she tried to speak to him, and walked away).

That didn't make it hurt any less, but she was loathe to admit that she didn't want another Jedi commanding the 212th, because that meant attachment.

Attachment. She wanted to scoff.

Who was she kidding? They were all attached, in some way or another. The reality was proving to be very different from her lessons as a young girl.

Reaching a relatively secluded spot in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, Obi-Wan sat down cross legged. She closed her eyes, trying to find that balance within herself, but it proved elusive.

She was worried, about so much.

Anakin's recent behavior, the Jedi Council's recent decisions, Palpatine's actions, the tension between Obi-Wan and her men - she never should've taken the Hardeen mission. It felt as if the problem went deeper than that however, and Hardeen had simply been the final damming thing.

Had she had a choice, in refusing Hardeen? Obi-Wan was a Council member. Anakin's accusing look and visit had certainly made it clear he believed she should've said no, and was obviously displeased she went through with the deception. But she didn't always feel like a Council member, and she'd never experienced the Council operating outside the war. She certainly hadn't been informed of the decision to assign Ahsoka to Anakin; it had been Yoda's alone.

How much would her refusal have been worth?

Would refusing to accept the mission have meant being accused of attachment?

Possibly, and yet Obi-Wan had a sneaking suspicion that even Master Yoda knew attachment was inevitable. Instead, how one dealt with attachment showed what kind of being they were. Besides, if the Council wasn't aware of the fact that Obi-Wan would willingly trade her life for Anakin's own life, for Ahsoka's, for their happiness and for the lives of her men, then she wanted some of whatever they were drinking.

Plo Koon and Shaak Ti were her own allies in what Obi-Wan had jokingly dubbed Attachment Anonymous. Frequently the three of them discussed the clones, and argued with the Council over what would happen to them after the war, or worked on having senators propose legislation to give them rights. Obi-Wan's friendship with Bail Organa and Padme Amidala came in handy with that last tidbit, but they had lost count of how many bills had failed to pass.

She broke her meditation, shaking her head. She was meant to be releasing her emotions into the Force, not brooding over them. Some Jedi Master she was.

Unbidden, the snarl on Maul's face flashed through her mind.

Maybe, she reflected bitterly, it was because she never should've become even a Jedi Knight. After being knighted for Maul's defeat, Obi-Wan had tried to approach Master Yoda about taking the Trials, but he'd refused, asking her if she doubted the Council's decision.

She'd had to bite her tongue so she didn't say yes.

Part of her had been hoping that if she took the Trials, Anakin could start in the Creche as an Initiate. That way he could've made friends, and perhaps not felt as isolated by his peers as a young padawan working to catch up to the other padawans.

It would also have given her time to work through her own feelings. Qui-Gon, for all their difficulties together, had been her mentor and the pain of a bond forcefully severed unexpectedly hurt. He’d died at the hands of Darth Maul. Unlike Qui-Gon, Maul hadn’t stayed dead apparently. There was an entire village burning as proof. Obi-Wan ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the copper strands. If he was alive, and she was knighted for her defeat of the Sith, what did that mean for her?

She scowled. Maul killed innocent people to bring her out, knowing full well that he didn't have to kill them. Nobody was spared. The death, the anger, the grief and the fear she felt there would stay with her for a long time. Any Force user would be able to feel it. It disturbed her, deeply. Attacks, beatings to her own person, she could handle. That – that was a slaughter, and that was her failure because she hadn’t killed him. Because he lived, and he wanted to kill her as revenge.

She closed her eyes, listening to her breathing, and didn't stir until someone approached.

"Master Yoda," she greeted, politely nodding.

He waved a clawed hand at her, the one which wasn't clutching his gimmer stick.

The little green troll hummed. "Doubt, you do?"

"I," she closed her mouth, then blurted out, "Yes, Master. Darth Maul is really alive.”

As if they didn't already know this, due to Maul announcing himself and her own rather battered state. Yoda chuckled and she felt like a youngling again for all her experience and years. Compared to Master Yoda, she was.

"Unsettled by this, you are," he continued, hitting his stick on the ground for emphasis, "Made peace with your own master's death, you have not."

Well, at least he wasn't hitting her with the stick.

"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan opened her mouth to protest, and yelped as Master Yoda promptly reached forward and smacked her on the head with it.

She spoke too soon.

"Are you trying to send me back to the Halls, Master?" Obi-Wan grumbled.

She'd only just escaped Vokara Che's clutches, though the Twi'lek Healer would be happy for the chance to get Obi-Wan back into a medical bed. The Healer’s hand had itched towards a sedative, ready for the instant Obi-Wan showed any pain as she was leaving.

Yoda sniffed, retorting, "In the Halls, you should be."

She crossed her arms, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her robes to hide the fact that her fists were clenched. Yoda probably knew anyways.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan insisted.

Yoda's skeptical look let her know he didn't buy it for a second. Old as he was, he knew a trick or two.

"I'm working on it," she amended. "I'm still on leave."

Yoda nodded. "Tracking down Maul and his brother, you are."

"If the Council permits it," Obi-Wan said after a pause, not willing to admit Council or not she was going after them.

She frowned. "Maul is angry with me, personally, though he hates Jedi in general."

Angry was an understatement, but she didn't really have words to express the depth of hatred Maul had felt towards her as he beat her senseless. He could've easily killed her instead of having his brother knock her unconscious.

No, Maul wanted her to suffer. He wanted her to break.

It wasn't this realization that troubled her but rather the one that whoever was around her, Maul would hurt them to hurt her. That he was coming for her no matter where she was and who she was with. The thought of Anakin anywhere near him, or even worse, Ahsoka, made Obi-Wan feel a little sick.

"Master Yoda, do you think," she paused, carefully considering how not to make her next words sound like treason. "What do you think of absolutes?"

Yoda tilted his head in thought. "Only deal in absolutes, the Sith do."

She was silent for a long time. Her eyebrows furrowed as she considered his response, knowing what she wanted to ask yet hesitant to pose the question.

“Then perhaps,” she began cautiously, “What does that make us, if . . . if the Jedi Code has remained absolute for thousands of years?"

The ancient green Jedi Master was silent for a long moment, looking like every single one of his years. She half-expected Yoda to request for her resignation once the war was over, but Yoda didn't even look surprised at what was clearly a criticism of the Jedi Code by a Jedi Master on the High Council. As if the thought had also occurred to him.

“Hm, old, I am,” he sighed deeply, “Many years to think, I have.” He banged his stick against the ground. “Upheld the values of the past, I have.”

It wasn’t exactly an answer, but perhaps more of an admission.

"Master Yoda," she voiced her thoughts, pushing on, "What will the Jedi look like when this war ends?"

"Continue on, the Jedi will," Yoda proclaimed, but he did not look as certain as the words that he spoke.

"I think we need to have a very long Council discussion," she frowned.

She thought for sure she’d pushed too far too soon, and half-expected a verbal reprimand or a whack from Yoda’s stick.

Yoda's face gave away nothing, but he said, "In short supply, time is.”

As High Generals all of them were running ragged.

"Then we'll make the time," Obi-Wan said, voice hard and determined.

She focused on a plant ahead of her, but her gaze turned inward, mind already calculating the plans in her head.

~~~~~

Hours later, sitting on a Council seat - hers, Obi-Wan leaned forward. Before the war, it was apparently rare for any member to miss a Council meeting, but now only Yoda, Mace, Adi Gallia, and Shaak Ti were there. Despite this, not all of them were physically present. Master Ti and Mace’s blue holograms flickered. Immediate business relating to the war and troop movements was discussed, before they turned to her and waited for Obi-Wan to give her report on Darth Maul and Savage Oppress.

She stared at nothing, hand on her chin in thought, not realizing the conversation around her had died down.

“Master Kenobi?” Mace Windu inquired, “your report?"

She shook her head, forcing herself back to reality.

"Forgive me, Masters," Obi-Wan said smoothly, "I have been a little tired."

"Understandable," Adi inclined her head. "So have we all."

Without further prompting, Obi-Wan launched into an account of her encounter with Darth Maul, Savage Oppress, and of all people, Asajj Ventress. Mace scowled as Obi-Wan gave her report on Maul.

"Ventress?" He questioned, "Where is she now?"

Obi-Wan glanced at him, before looking away. "She escaped before Master Vos found me and escorted me back."

Mace was aware that from what Quinlan Vos said in his earlier report, he'd dragged her back, but Obi-Wan likely wouldn't appreciate that being pointed out.

"Maul must be apprehended or stopped," Adi interjected. She, too, look deeply troubled.

Obi-Wan wasn't much better, though she had one of the best Sabaac faces and some of the best shielding of any Jedi Mace knew. She had to be taking this hard. It wasn't every day that the being who killed your Master, who you sliced in half and was knighted for defeating then popped up over decade later still living. It was horrifying and disturbing on a level that would have even the calmest Jedi Master unsettled. The four of them debated what to do, as Obi-Wan said nothing. She stared at a spot on the floor, not meeting their eyes, and frowning intently.

Mace held back his sigh.

Frankly, he sometimes felt exhausted by the terrible luck Obi-Wan Kenobi had. When it got really bad, his mind went back to a small, curious child with bright red hair and a temper age and hard experience had taught her to control. It was difficult to reconcile that child with the woman who sat on the Council.

He turned his mind back to the conversation as Obi-Wan broke into the discussion.

"I'm currently on leave," she offered, "I can go on a Jedi mission after Maul and his brother."

His eyebrows rose. "Because the last encounter went so well?"

It was a lightsaber blow below the belt, and Obi-Wan didn't look at him. Shaak shot him a reprimanding look and Mace shot her a challenging one of his own. He wasn't losing a promising young Jedi Master to her own feelings of pride or arrogance or insecurity. They were Jedi, and they worked together. Dooku may consider it one of their (according to him) many, many flaws, but it was a strength even if it could be used as a weakness.

"I could accompany you," Adi suggested.

Obi-Wan didn't look happy with the suggestion, but Mace considered it. Two Jedi Masters, much less High Jedi Generals, were difficult to spare nowadays with the war raging in full swing, but he could manage it. Shuffling would have to be done with Adi’s troopers, but Obi-Wan’s were technically still on leave. Mace himself couldn't go, nor could Yoda. Their duties demanded they stay here.

"The idea has merit," Shaak interjected, "There are two of them. This is how they ambushed you, yes?"

Obi-Wan grimaced at the unpleasant reminder. "Yes."

They looked towards Mace, but he didn't answer. The argument could be made that Obi-Wan herself was too valuable to the war effort to spare, but from her report Maul would try to kill her whether she was chasing him or on a battlefield. If he tried to kill her on a battlefield, it could cause a whole host of problems that gave Mace a headache just thinking about. It sounded grim, but it was better to eliminate the problem than constantly look over their shoulders for the attack. Maul might even lead them to the Sith Master, and as Jedi, they had a duty to fight the Sith. Disregarding the Sith Master, Maul himself was a problem, one that they were all aware Obi-Wan would blame herself for even if Maul’s choices were his own.

Mace nodded with a heavy heart as he agreed. He eyed the still fading bruises, and hoped he wasn’t sending a friend to her death.

"If that is what the Council wishes," Obi-Wan nodded shortly, recognizing his agreement with Adi Gallia's plan.

He nearly snorted.

As if she hadn't just come back from being beaten by Maul and Savage. Stubborn woman. Probably learned it from her Master. In fact, Mace watched her warily, having recognized that particular look on her face since she'd picked it up from Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan was plotting something that would make his life difficult in the near future.

He looked forward to it.

The rest of the meeting passed relatively uneventfully, and Mace was feeling hopeful that maybe Kenobi had given up her plotting. He could still tell she had the urge to argue against Adi Gallia coming with her to track down Maul, but she didn't, thankfully.

When the meeting adjourned, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yoda's whole damn line should have come with a warning label.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like this was too short, then I checked the word count and found it was already over 6,000. Then I added more stuff, but it's probably still in that range. Whoops. Hope anyone reading this enjoys it. I'll probably have one chapter left for this. I'm planning to do a series of Fem!Obi-Wan, with this as part of it.

**Author's Note:**

> So that was that. Obi-Wan Kenobi's one of my favorite SW characters, and I actually really love the idea a Female Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is in large part because of the works by ThatDamnKennedyKid, sirladyknight, DontCallMeShirley, and teacup_of_doom.


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